Now that Leipold has fired Doug Risebrough, the Wild have an opening for a president and general manager.

That's the job for Lemaire.

That's the thing to do. Kick him upstairs. Let Lemaire make the roster decisions.

Let him try to do what Risebrough could not: build a Stanley Cup champion.

The Wild didn't reach the playoffs this season, but it's not as if they need to shift into a major retooling mode. Things are not dire. These are not the Timberwolves, after all.

They have talent. And what talent there isn't there, Lemaire can fetch through trades and free agency. He knows what it takes to win a Stanley Cup, remember. He does have that slew of Stanley Cup rings as a player, coach and executive.

Asked Thursday if he would consider Lemaire as Risebrough's replacement, Leipold said, "It was not on my radar." He needs to get it in on his radar.

Lemaire said, "No, no, no, no," when asked Thursday by the Pioneer Press if he was interested in the job. But what is he going to say on the day his former teammate and friend was fired? He's not going to start stumping for the job right away. Risebrough's firing was a shock to him, too. He needs to let it sink in and give this job some thought.

If he gets the job, Lemaire can build this team the way he wants, starting with the hiring of his trusted assistant, Mario Tremblay, as the head coach.